Honesty
by The Quiet Shadow XVII
Summary: Merry loves Pippin, but doesn't think Pippin loves him back. Pippin loves Merry, but doesn't think Merry loves HIM back, so he kisses Merry and tells him how he feels, then runs away before Merry can reply. Merry/Pippin SLASH


Heyy, it's time for another Merry/Pippin slash… of cuteness! –squeals-

I wrote this one while listening to The Portrait by James Horner… or My Heart Will Go On piano version.

I kinda love that song and it inspires a lot of slash and yaoi…. :D

I love an angsty Merry. It's the best.

Also, the title is about them being honest with each other about their feelings.

~x~

Merry sighed as he wandered through the forest where he and Pippin had first met, at the mere age of two. Of course, they had no recollection of it, but the elder Hobbit lads and lasses had told them of it. They also had no idea that they were cousins until age five.

Speaking of Pippin, the boy was off with some lass from Hobbiton… Diamond, Merry believed her name was.

Pippin was supposed to marry her.

The thought cut Merry's heart to pieces.

Yes, he was in love with Pippin. He had known it since they reunited in Minas Tirith after not seeing each other for a while. He found out when Pippin promised to look after him when he was barely conscious. How he found out in that little space of thought would always be a mystery to him.

He'd only ever told Frodo and King Aragorn, but that was because he had complete faith in the two and knew Frodo felt the same way about Sam… only… Sam wasn't his cousin…. Merry hated his choice in love… but he couldn't blame Pippin for being… well, Pippin.

"Merry!" exclaimed a voice.

Said Hobbit turned to see Pippin running over to him, a smile wide on his face.

"Pippin…" said Merry. "C-can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Of course, Merry, why wouldn't you be able to?" asked Pippin, stopping next to him.

'_Because I don't know if my mouth can form the right words,_' he thought.

He led Pippin over to a fallen tree and they sat on it, Pippin as happy as ever and Merry dying on the inside.

"Pip, how do you feel about… Diamond?" he asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Pippin, still oblivious.

"I mean… do you want to marry her…?"

"In all honesty, Merry," said Pippin, a bit uncertain, "no."

"Why not?" asked Merry, hopeful.

"Because… I think I fancy—no, love somebody else."

"Oh." was all Merry could say, his heart breaking.

"But…" said Pippin. "I don't know if he feels the same way… but I want to know so badly."

"He?" repeated Merry.

"He," confirmed Pippin.

"But what about Diamond?" asked Merry.

"She's a fine lass and all," said Pippin. "Just, not the one for me."

"So… who is it that you love?" questioned Merry.

Pippin blushed and looked away.

"Do I have to tell you?" he asked.

"Not if you don't wa—" but Merry was cut off by Pippin's lips on his.

They stayed like that for a second and Merry wrapped his arms around his younger cousin.

"I thought I could show you instead," said Pippin uncertainly. "I love you Merry. Sorry if you don't feel the same."

"Pippin—" began Merry, but the younger Hobbit was already racing off. "Pippin!"

He jumped up and ran after him. "Pippin, wait!"

Pippin didn't wait. In fact, he ran to Hobbiton and Merry stopped on the edge of the trees, sat down, and cried.

After about an hour, soft footsteps approached him. Merry only sat still and hoped it was either Sam, Frodo, or Pippin.

"Merry," said a certain voice, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Frodo," said Merry, looking up and wiping his tears away.

"Is it Pippin?" asked Frodo, sitting with him.

"Yes," he replied, looking at his furry feet. "H-he kissed me, told me he loved me, then ran off. I ran after, but he didn't stop."

"I know where you can find him," said Frodo, smiling slightly, his hand on Merry's shoulder.

"Where can I?" asked Merry.

"Remember when we first left Hobbiton to destroy the Ring?" asked Frodo. "He's in that cornfield where you two kinda bombarded me and Sam."

"Okay, thanks, Frodo," said Merry, standing. "I'll go find him."

"No problem," replied Frodo, standing as well and giving the younger Hobbit a swift hug. "Hopefully you two will end up like Sam and I."

"Hopefully we will," said Merry, running off.

He ran for about thirty minutes, not stopping until he reached the cornfield. He nervously started down the path, the shadows coming from the dusk unnerving him.

"Pippin?" he called quietly.

His keen ears picked up a tiny bit of sniffling. He turned the corner and found Pippin, sitting just barely out of sight, and a few tears running down his face.

"Pippin," he said, sitting with him. "Why are you crying?"

"Because you'll reject me," replied Pippin quietly.

"Peregrin Took," said Merry sternly. "Did you not give any thought to see what my reaction was before running off?"

Pippin looked up at him, confused.

"You thought I was going to react harshly," said Merry. "What if you had waited? I would have reacted like so."

He reached up, ignored Pippin's flinch, grabbed his chin, and kissed him softly.

"I love you, too, Pippin," said Merry, smiling and wiping away the younger Hobbit's tears. "Always have and I always will. Forever."

"But what about Diamond?" asked Pippin, resting against Merry's chest.

"What about her?"

"Well… I can't leave you now and I have to marry her, Merry." The tears began flowing again. "I don't want to."

"Well, Mr. Thain of Tookland," said Merry, once again wiping his tears away, "I believe, as the Thain, you can simply call off the wedding."

"I never thought of that," said Pippin. "I am one confused Hobbit. (1)"

"But," said Merry, poking his nose, then kissing it, "that's why I love you."

"Love you too," said Pippin, smiling.

~x~

A few years later, Pippin sat in his favorite chair by the fire, during Yule, telling their daughter, Desiree, how her two daddies fell in love. Frodo, Sam, Diamond, and her husband, Jacoby were there as well.

"But daddy!" squealed Desiree, "did you just tell Miss Diamond that you didn't want to marry her?"

"Clever girl," said Pippin. "Yes I did. She didn't take it the wrong way, did you Diamond?"

Diamond looked over and smiled at him. "No. I'm glad you and Merry got together. If not, I would have never met Jacoby."

She looked over at her husband and smiled.

Merry soon joined Pippin and Desiree and kissed Pippin's lips, then Desiree's forehead.

"Time for a certain young Hobbit to be off to bed," said Merry, smiling at his daughter. "You have a long day of opening presents and packing tomorrow, because Uncle Frodo and Uncle Sam are taking us to see Eowyn and Eomer, then to see King Aragorn!"

Desiree gasped. "A real king?"

"A real king," said Pippin, nodding. "Now come, off to bed with you. We'll be in there to say goodnight in a moment. Remember, you need to sleep or your Yule presents might up and leave in the middle of the night and you don't want that. It's going to be a long journey to Rohan, then to Gondor, so you best rest up."

Desiree laughed and jumped off Pippin's lap.

"Goodnight, Desiree!" said Frodo.

"Goodnight, Desiree," said Diamond. "We're going to be off now, Merry. We'll see you soon. Goodnight Pippin, Merry."

With that, she and Jacoby were out the door.

"We should be off, too," said Sam. "Frodo and I have to pack as well, you know. So we'll see you around five o'clock tomorrow afternoon, have dinner, then set off. Gandalf will meet us in Bree."

"Okay, see you then!" said Pippin, waving.

"Happy Yule, Pippin, Merry," said Frodo, smiling.

When they were out the door, Pippin turned to Merry.

"I love you, Merry," said Pippin, kissing him.

"I love you too, Pip," replied Merry, holding him in his arms. "We best get to bed as well, seeing as we'll probably be carrying Desiree to Bree."

Then, the two shared a loving smile and went to go tuck Desiree in and get some sleep.


End file.
